Pinion-leaf-polishing machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. A. MARSH.

PINION LEAF POLISHING MACHINE.

No. 349,944. 1 Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

WITNEEEEE- INVENTU QWW (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. A. MARSH.

PINION LEAF POLISHING MACHINE. No. 349,944. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. A. MARSH.

PINION LEAF POLISHING MACHINE.

No. 349,944. Patented'Sept. 28, 1886.

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Q gm w (No Model.) Q 4 Sheets--Sheet 4. E. A. MARSH.

PINION LEAF POLISHING MAGHINE.

No. 349,944. ented Sept. 28, 1886.

Fig- 11 NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

EDVARD A. MARSH, OF NEXVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PlNlON-LEAF-POLISHING MACHINE.

l-JPECIEECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,944, dated September 28, 1886.

Application liled April 28, 1886. Serial No. 200,4l1. (No model.)

1'0 ctZZ whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. MARsH, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pinion-Leat-Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for polishing the teeth or leaves of small pinions for watch-movements or for other analogous mechanism. Both the appearance and the easyrunning of a watch demand that the teeth or leaves of the pinions, which form such an important part of the train, shall be polished. ln forming the teeth great pains are taken to make the cutters of correct shape, so that the 7 wheels and pinions shall work with the least possiblefriction.

Having cut the pinion-i eeth of the proper shape it is essential that the shape shall be preserved. To insure this preservation of form it is the practice to provide polishers formed of some soft-metal. alloy which can be charged with the abrading material. but sufficiently hard to retain its shape. This polisher is usually made in the form of a thin strip having one of its edges so shaped as to fit the space between two of the leaves or teeth of the pinion to be polished. Ordinarily this metal strip is held firmly in a suitable clamp and mounted on a spindle having a reciprocating motion in line with its axis, and so arranged in relation to the pinion to be acted upon as to be moved through the spaces between the teeth, so as to polish the sides of theteeth. \Vhen one tooth (or, more exactly, one side each of two teeth) has been suffieiently polished, the pinion is withdrawn from contact with the polisher and revolved sufficiently to present the next space, when the operation is repeated, and so on till all the leaves have been polished, when the finished pinion is removed and another one put in to be subjected to the same treatment.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 represents a vertical central section of the same on the line 3 9 Fig. 3 represents a section on line x 00, Fig. 2. Fig. :i is a detail sectional view of a portion 01' the driving shaft, the cam mounted thereon, and the contiguous portions of the polisher carrying sectional views of one of the pinion-holders.

Fig. 8 represents a side elevation of a part of the machine, showing the elongated fixed projection whereby each pinion is held depressed after it has been completely polished. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a pinion. Fig. 10 is a transverse section of a pinion, showing a portion of the polishing-blade and pinion-turning finger in connection therewith. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing a portion of the base and turret, one of the pinion-holders and polishing-blade, and devices immediately adjacent thereto; and Fig. 12 is asectional detail of thefeathered rod and tubularshaf t, forming part of the devices for throwing the turret into and out of rotative connection ,with the driving-shaft.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

It will be obvious that it is essential that each tooth shall receive the same amount of polishing, otherwise the spaces will be unequal. To accomplish this end machines have been made which were provided with a countwheel, so arranged that after a certain number of strokes of the polisher thepinion should be automatically withdrawn and turned, so as to present another space to the polisher, and when all the teeth were polished the machine was stopped in the same way. A fresh pinion could then be put in and the machine started by hand, which would again run automatically until the pinion was finished. It is evident, of course, that as one space only can be polished at a time, the whole time required to complete a pinion would be the time taken for one tooth multiplied by the whole number shape was turned or cut on the periphery of the disk in the form of a screw, so as to turn the pinion continuously, the action being that of a worm and worm-gear, the polisher acting as the worm. and the pinion as the wornrgear; but the shape of pinion-teeth is such as to makeit impossible to bring their entire surface in contact with the polisher at'once, and the continu ous motion in one direction is fatal to the sp rings.

maintenance of correct form of teeth.

The object of my invention is to secure the equal and uniform-polishing of all the teeth in a pinion in such a manner as to preserve the original form, andat the same time to secure this result with the very great advantage of finishing all the leaves of several pinions in the time required for finishing a single pinion.

Arranged radially at intervals around a central driving-shaft are a number of spindles or slides, which carry strips or plates of metal or other substance to be used for polishers. These slides exceed in number, by one or more, the largest numberof teeth in pinions to be polished. Motion is imparted to all the polisher-slides successively by means of an eccentric or cam on the 'central driving-shaft, against which the slides are held by means of All these slides are mounted in a circular carriage or turret, which has a continuous and uniform rotary motion around the central shaft, from which it receives motion through gears and worm and bevel-pinion.

Arranged around the periphery of the revolving carriage or turret,and in suitable relation to each of the slides, are holders for the pinions to be polished,which holders are pro vided with means for adjustment in all re quired directions. Each of these holders is provided with a device for turning the pinions a single tooth, so as to present a fresh tooth to theaction of the polisher. Eachholder is provided with a spring, or its equivalent, by which the pinion to be operated upon is heldin contact with the polisher, and a suitable stop to determine the limit of its motion.

At suitable intervals on the bed of the machine are fixed projections, in number corresponding to the number-of polisher-slides. As the holders carrying the pinions move around with the revolving turret, they come in contact with fixed projections, and thereby are drawn away from contact with thepolishers, and while in thisposition devices moving with the pinion-holders strike other projections on the. bed of the machine, and the continued motion of the turret and its holders imparts motion to said devices, which so act as to give a partial revolution to the pinion so as to present the" next tooth to the action of the polisher. The last fixed projection is elongated so as tokeep the pinion away from the polisher during its passage from one space or division of the machine to another, and during this passage the finished pinion is removed and replaced by a fresh one withoutthe 7 stoppageof the machine.

In the drawings, (t represents a circular base supporting a circular-turret or head, I), which is adapted to rotate on the base, suitable anti-friction rollers, c, Fig. 2, being applied to the base to directly support the turret and facilitate its rotation.

0 represents a vertical drivingshaft, supported in a step or bearing, (7, at the centerof the base, and passing through a bearing, 6, at

the center of the turret, said shaft being continuously rotated when the machine is in operation. To the driving-shaft is aflixed a gear,

f, meshing with a gear, 9, which is journaled on a vertical stud, h, affi'xed to the base. (See 0 Figs. 2 and 3.) To the gear 9 is affixed a sleeve having a worm, t, at its upper end. Said worm meshes with a worm-gear,j, envgaged, as hereinafter described, with a tubuvlar shaft, 16, which shaft is journaled in bear- 5 ings 011 the base, and has a bevelpinion, Z, meshing with a bevel-gear, m, aflixed to'the under side of the turret, said gear being concentric with the driving-shaft. The rotation of the driving-shaft is communicated to the 10:) turret through the gears f g, worm i, wormwheel 7', tubular shaft k, bevel-pinion Z, and bevel-gearmt, the turret being thuscontinuously rotated. The worm-gear is mounted loosely on a tubular bearing, through which '05 the shaft it passes. Said worm-gear has clutch teeth on one of its edges, which teeth mesh with correspondingteeth on a sliding clutch, n, affixed to a rod, 0. Said rod passes through the shaft k, (the latter being tubular,) and is engaged with said shaft by a feather, 7c", and groove-connection, Fig. 12, or otherwise, so that it rotates with and at the same time is free to move longitudinally'in said shaft. The rod o'is normally held by a spring, 1), in A5 the position shown in Fig. 2, the clutch n being thus kept in engagement with the worm j, so that an operative connection is normally maintained between the driving-shaft and turret. Then it is desirable to stop therotation 12o of the turret, the rod 0 is pushed inwardly, thus separating the clutch n from the worm j and stopping the rotation of the shaft k. The turret is provided with a series of rods or slides, r, radiating from the center of the turret, and adapted to slidein guides s s, affixed to the turret. The outer ends of said slides project outside of the turret, and are there provided with clamps or polisherholtlers t,. adapted to contain the pinion-leaf polishers 1 0 a, which are flat strips of metal formed at their lower edges to fit the space between two leaves or teeth of a pinion, t, and polish the proximate-sidesof two leaves simultaneously.

(See Fig. 10-.) Each clamp or polisher-holder is composed of a jaw, 2, rigidly attached to a slide, r, (as by a threaded shank, 3, on said jaw screwed into the outer end of the slide, as shown in Fig. 2,) and ajaw or cap, 4, detachably secured by screws 5 5 to the jaw 2, the polisher being clamped between said jaws. Studs 10, attached to the tool-holders, have their upper ends fitted to slide in guides a, attached to guides s. The slides r are drawn inwardly by springs I), so that anti-friction rollers at their inner ends bear against the perimeter of a cam or eccentric, e, affixed to the driving-shaft c. When the driving-shaft is rotated, the slides r and the tools attached thereto are simultaneously reciprocated by the conjoint operation of the cam or eccentric c and springs Z),- or, if desired, the springs may be omitted and the slides may be positively engaged with the camfor example, by means of anti-friction rollers or other projections on the slides entering a groove, 0 in the ca1nas shown in Fig. 4.

The pinions to be polished are held in a series of holders, there being one for each polisher. Each pinion-holder is composed in part of a plate or disk, (1, aflixed to a short arm or lever, e, which is mounted to oscillate on a stud, 0, Figs. 5 and 11., affixed to and projecting outwardly from the turret, the pinion holders being moved toward and from the polishers when said arms are oscillated, as hereinafter described. The arms 0 are supported by springs f, (see Fig. 1,) which press the swinging ends pf the arms upwardly, and thus press the pinions held thereby against the polishers. Adjustable screws or stops g on arms 71, affixed to the turret, limit the height to which the pinion-holders may be raised by the springs; but in practice the arms do not bear on said stops when the polishers are in operation.

The plate (1 of each pinion-holder is provided with a longitudinally-concave recess, in which is-fitted a plate, I, which is convex on its under side. The plate t" has flanges at its edges, and to its upper surface, between said flanges, are secured two angle-pieces, j j, which are grooved to support the staff of the pinion to be polished. Said angle-pieces are adjustable toward and from each other to accommodate pinions of different lengths. The convex-bottomed plate i is secured to the plate d by screws 'It" It, bearing on its ends, and it is capable of being adjusted by said screws to incline or vary the inclination of its upper surface, and thus secure such adjustment of the pinion as shall cause the'polisher to bear on the entire length of the teeth of the pinion. The plate d is attached to the arm or lever e, that supports it, by a stem, Z, on the plate (1, projecting downwardly through an orifice in the arm 6, and a nut, m, screwed onto the threaded lower end of said stem. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) The arms 6 are adjustable lengthwise, to enable the pinions to be adjusted laterally with reference to the polishers, by means of eccentric shells or bushings 6', Figs. 1 and 5, placed in the sockets of the arms a, which receive the studs 0. Said bushings are secured to the arms in any de sired positionby set-screws (1 c, and they are bored to fit the studs 0'. 3y turning the bushings in the sockets of the arms 6 the distance between the pinion-holding ends and the axes of said arms may be varied, as will be readily seen.

It will be seen from the foregoing that when each pinion-holder is provided with a pinion and the machine is set in operation the series of polishcrs will act simultaneously on the series of pinions, and at the same time the pinions and polishers will be moved progressively by the continuous rotation of the turret. The pinion-holders are depressed at intervals to remove them from the polishers, and the pin ions are partly rotated while, depressed, so that when they are again raised new leaves will be presented to the polishers. These results are attained by the devices next described. To the base-a are attached a series of lugs, a, corresponding in number to the number of leaves in the pinions to be polished, and placed at equal distances apart. Lugs o, projecting downwardly from the arms 6, supporting the pi nion-holders, are arranged to strike the lugs 12. and be depressed thereby, the arms (2 and the pi nion-holders being thus depressed during each complete rotation of the turret as many times as there are depressing-lugs a and o. The pinions are thus disengaged from the polishers, and while disengaged are rotated at distance equal to the distance from tooth to tooth by means of lingers p, level-sq, to which said fingers are attached, levers r, mounted on studs 8, affixed to the webs s", Fig. 11, on the arms 0', (the levers q being pivoted at t to the levers 1",) and lugs ac, at'fixed to the base a. said lugs correspond ing in number and position to the fixed pinioirdepressing lngsa. The lever r is formed so that when its lower end strikes the lug 1; its upper end will be thrown forward and will carry with it the lever q and its finger 1), thus inserting the latter between two of the pinion-teeth. The lever q is formed so that when its lower end strikes thelug u its upper or finger-carrying end will be depressed and thus cause the finger to give the pinion with which it is engaged a partial rotation. The arrangement of the lugs u o is such that the lever r is first acted on and gives the lever q and finger p the forward movement, immediately after which the lever q is acted on and gives the finger p the downward movement, these movements being almost simultaneous.

The fingers p are normally drawn back from the pinionholders by springs e, arranged substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and 11.

The depression of each pinion alter all of its leaves have been polished is effected by a fixed lug or lip, a, of greater length than the lugs a, which depress the pinions to enable them to be partly rotated and then immediately release them. Said elongated lug, Fig. 8, is of sufficient length to hold each pinionholder depressed a sufficient length of time to enable the attendant to remove the polished pinion and replace it by an unpolished one before the pinion-holder reassulnes its operative positions. v

The total number of pinion-holders and polishers employed should exceed by one or more the number of teeth or leaves in any pinion to be polished by the machine, so that the polished pinion-may be removed and a fresh one inserted at a given point on the machine and while its holder is being held down by the elongated lip or lug n If the number of holders and polishers were equal to or less than that of the leaves in the pinions, the place for the removal of the completed pinions would vary with each pinion, and it would be impossible to employ a holdingdown ing to depress each pinion-holder at a given point. It is possible, however, to polish pinions having any number of leaves less than the total number of polishers and holders by using a lug, a Fig. 8, of sufficient length to keep each pinionholder depressed after all of the leaves of the pinion held thereby have been polished until the completion of the rotation of the turret. In the present case the machine is provided with thirteen pinion holders and polishers, so

so that it is capable of polishing twelve pinion-leaves and permitting the removal of the pinion and its replacement by a fresh one in one complete rotation of the turret. If now it is desired to polish a pinion having seven leaves,the lugs a" should be made of such length as to hold each pinion-holder depressed dur-. ing the remainder of a complete rotation after the pinion has been acted on by seven polishers, or after each tooth has been once acted on, the repolishing of any of the leaves being thus prevented. The rock-lever r is provided on its outer side with a boss, 8, havinga horizontally-threaded opening for the reception of the thumb-screw s, the end of which is adapted to bear against the lever 1 and by the'manipulation of the thumb-screw vary the relative positions of thelevers q r, and consequently adjust'the movement of the lever r and the dip of its finger p. It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the arrangement and construction of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim a 1. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine, of a supporting-bed, a series of radial polisher-holders, and reciprocating devices, substantially such as a driving-shaft and cam, the latter being common to all holders, to successively contact therewith, substantially as set forth.

'2. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine, of a turret, means, substantially such as a pinion and gear rack, for revolving as a driving-shaft and cam, for reciprocating said polisher-h olders, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine, of a base, a turret mounted thereon, means, substantially such as apinion and gear rack, for revolving said turret, a series of polisher-holders carried by said turret, and a series of pinion-holders and devices, substantially such as a driving-shaft and cam, for reciprocating said polisher'holders,substantial] y as set forth.

4. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine, of a base, a turret mounted thereon, means, substantially such as a pinion and gear rack, for revolving said turret, a series of polisherholders carried by said turret, de vices, substantially such as a cam and driving shaft, for reciprocating said polisher-holders, a series of spring-supported pinion-holders, and lugs located on said base and pinion-holders for depressing each pinion-holder at intervals, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polislr ing machine having a revolving turret and re eiprocating polisher-holders, as described, of a series of polisher-holders, and means, substantially such as a lever, q, and a finger, p, and lug u, for dipping the finger to rotate the pinion, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine having a revolving turret and re- 7. The combination, in a pinion-leaf-polishing machine having a revolving turret and reciprocating polisher-holders, as described, ofa series of studs located on said turret, an arm pivotally mounted at one end on each stud, a pinion-holder located on each arm, a spring for maintaining each arm ,in an operative position, and a lug carried by each arm, and a series of fixed lugs to operate therewith to effect the depression of each arm at regular intervals, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the fixed base having the lugs a, the rotating turret on said base, the polisher-carrying slides carried by the turret, the spring-supported arms 6, pivoted ing devices, the lugs 0, the pinion-rotating fingers and their supporting and operating levers q r, and the lugs a 12', affixed to the base and arranged to co-operate with the lelntestiinony whereof I have signed my name vers r in rotating the pinions, as set forth. to this specification, in the presence of two sub- 10. The combination; with the reciprocatscribing witnesses, this 22d day of April, 1.886. ing leaf polishers, of pinion holders, each composed of a plate, d, secured to a movable EDWARD A. MARSH.

support, as e, a convex-bottomed plate, i, set in a concave recess in the plate (1, and adj ust- Vitnesses: ably held at its ends by screws k k, and the U. 1?. BROWN,

adjustable supports j j for the pinion-arbor, ARTHUR XV. GRossL'EY.

10 as set forth. 

